Part of a Couple
by Ghostly Hamburger
Summary: Everyone is paired off into couples-everyone, that is, except Tucker and Jazz. JT


Longest one-shot I've ever written. Wow.

Tucker/Jazz.

I do like this couple. They're cute together. Kinda.

* * *

Part of a Couple

* * *

"And so you all the terms with the variable of x, and the expression is simplified." "I get it! Thanks Jazz!" "Um, I knew that already….can I leave?"

This was the scene in the kitchen of the Fenton household. Two teenagers were bent over a small textbook, while another teen was far back, tipping his chair backwards and looking as if he would fall over at any moment. Two of the people, the ones actually studying, were Jazz Fenton, the tutor, and Tucker Foley, the one failing algebra. The third in the room was Danny Fenton, only there because he was told to study as well. However, he was learning nothing new, and growing very bored.

"You can go, Danny," Jazz dismissed her brother, sensing his boredom. "Finally," he muttered, leaving the room. Jazz then turned back to Tucker. "You think you got the FOIL method okay?" Tucker said nothing, nor moved. He stared at the wall intently, as if searching for a hidden meaning in the wallpaper. "Tucker?" "What? Oh. Yeah, I got it." Jazz nodded. "Good. Then you can go home. Come back Friday, remember." Tucker made a small grunting noise in response and walked out of the room.

On his way out of the house, Tucker overheard snippets of Danny's phone conversation. "So I'll see you Friday then?...great...yeah…" Tucker sighed, stepping out the door of the house.

Everyone around him had changed. It had only been a bit less than a year since the first major change to the lives of him and his friends-when Danny got his powers-and now, Tucker was just starting to realize another change.

Everyone was part of a couple.

Danny met a girl who had moved from Florida. They had gone out on two dates already, and it appeared they were planning another. Sam had found some goth boy in a bookstore. They hadn't actually gone out yet, but Sam did talk about him a lot.

Paulina and Dash were going out. Kwan and Star were going out. Even the nerds had nerd girlfriends! Everyone had a match.

Everyone, that is, except Tucker.

As he walked from the Fenton house to his own, Tucker reflected on this fact. How had he missed everyone else pairing up, leaving him as the geek who was failing algebra and being tutored by his best friend's sister.

His best friend's sister who didn't have a boyfriend…

Tucker stopped walking at this realization. "Jazz doesn't have a boyfriend…" he thought aloud. "Wonder why…she is pretty..." He then interrupted himself. "Waitaminute! Did I just say _Jazz_ is _pretty_? Yeah, I did…but why? I mean, she is, but she's Danny's sister! But that's no reason not to like her…but I don't like her! Well, maybe a bit, but...I….GEH!" Tucker felt something poke him in the back and literally jumped. He turned to see a child of about 7 staring at him. "Mister, can you stop talking to yourself? You're scaring Mr. Puddles!" the kid said, pointing to his dog he held on a leash. Tucker made no reply, just walked away.

As he walked, he continued talking to himself. "Well, maybe I do like her…all right, yeah, I do. But it's weird. I can't tell anyone-they'd all be freaked out. Label me as the guy who has a crush on his best friend's older sister." By this time, he reached his house. He quietly opened the door, waved to his parents as he walked in, and promptly walked up the stairs to his room. Once there, he sat on his bed. "I hate my life," he groaned.

* * *

Two days passed. Friday came, and through the entire time school was in session, Tucker looked forward to being tutored that afternoon. At lunch, he sat alone, away from the tables full of couples. As he scarfed down his hamburger, he looked around. He saw Danny with his girlfriend, Sam with her boyfriend, the popular group all paired into couples. Nothing unusual. And then he saw Jazz. Sitting alone, as all of her friends were paired with their new boyfriends, or hanging around girls with boyfriends. Tucker watched her closely. She didn't seem to mind being alone. She just read a book. Tucker couldn't make out the title, but he could see "Dealing With…Parents".

Suddenly, She put her book down. Tucker noticed her expression wasn't exactly that of one who didn't mind being alone. She was sad. She looked around at the various places where her friends sat. Tucker watched her intently, then suddenly her head turned towards him. Their eyes connected from across the room. It lasted for a brief moment, then suddenly Tucker bent his head down. Jazz blinked, then opened up her book and read it again.

* * *

That afternoon, Tucker walked with Danny to Danny's house. "I'm not gonna see you when we get home," Danny told Tucker. "I'm gonna go get ready for my date with Ste-" "Whatever, dude," Tucker interrupted. "You do that, I'll just study with…Jazz…" His voice softened as he said 'Jazz'. Danny raised an eyebrow. "What's with you?" "I...er…I…" Tucker frantically tried to think of something to say. Danny raised both eyebrows. "Sheesh, you sound like you have a crush on my sister!" "How did you know? I mean, no I don't."

Danny took a step backward. "You like _JAZZ_? …ew." "Hey, she's cool! Yeah, she's your sister, but that doesn't mean _I_ can't like her!" Danny nodded. "I guess you're right…but that's freaky." "Relax," Tucker said. "I don't think she likes me. We're not going out." "Yeah. But it still kinda scares me." "Whatever. I leave your love life alone, so stay out of mine and don't tell Jazz. Okay?" "Fine."

* * *

Throughout the tutoring session, Tucker was unable to concentrate. H kept spacing out, staring at Jazz. She did notice this, but said nothing. She wasn't exactly focused herself, as her thoughts kept drifting to Tucker. She had quickly figured out that he liked her, but she wasn't sure why she couldn't stop thinking about that fact. She had always seen Tucker as like a brother, with him being Danny's friend. But now…now she was starting to see him differently. True, he was a geeky kid, but he was kinda cute.

"All right, that's all for today," Jazz said softly, after Tucker had successfully multiplied a bunch of rational expressions. "I'll see you later." Tucker nodded briefly, then walked out of the house. A few minutes after he closed the door, Jazz glanced around the kitchen. Her eyes landed on a small green textbook with the word "ALGEBRA" written in white. She sighed, and picked it up. She could probably catch Tucker outside the door to give it back to him. She stood up, but unfortunately was a bit clumsy with the book. She dropped it, and the front cover fell open, revealing a lot of stick figure doodles which were hard to see, and Jazz's name written multiple times.

Jazz knelt down to pick up the book. She raised an eyebrow, seeing her name there. After looking at it for a moment, she snapped the book closed, and quickly made her way out of the house.

* * *

"Tucker!"

Tucker stopped walking and turned to face Jazz, who was holding out his book as she walked to him. "You left this," she said, putting the book in his hands. "Er…thanks," Tucker replied, turning around again to leave. But before he took a single step, he heard Jazz say his name again.

He turned back to face her. She said nothing at all, just moved a bit closer and lightly brushed her lips against his forehead in a kiss that could be interpreted as simple friendship or perhaps more.

And then she turned back around and walked to her home, leaving Tucker standing by himself, his face becoming redder by the minute.

So Tucker didn't have a girlfriend. He wasn't part of a couple.

But that may not be a problem.


End file.
